Programmable examination and procedure tables and chairs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical examination and procedure tables and chairs have limited ranges of motion and positioning, requiring manual manipulation and interdependent mechanical linkages, which are inefficient and do not meet the needs of patients and medical service providers effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of independently programmable actuators to control the movement of seat, leg rest, and foot rest assemblies, allowing for synchronized and simultaneous mechanical movement to achieve desired positions without manual manipulation, including the ability to lower the seat to a height of no more than nineteen inches from the floor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual manipulation is used to position chair parts, then the medical service provider can control the positioning, but it requires time and manual effort that could be used for patient care
Solution Approach 1:
The chair system performs positioning automatically without requiring manual manipulation by the medical service provider. The programmable actuators enable the chair to reposition itself and the patient through automated sequences, freeing the provider to focus on patient care while the system handles positioning independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical manipulation is replaced with programmable automated control systems. The chair uses computer-controlled actuators and synchronization mechanisms to replace the need for hands-on manual positioning, transforming a manual mechanical task into an automated process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If interdependent mechanical linkages are used to move chair parts, then the structure remains simple, but the range of motion and positioning options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The chair system divides the positioning function into independent controllable segments (seat, backrest, leg rest, foot rest) each with its own actuator. This segmentation allows each part to move independently through its full range of motion without being constrained by interdependent mechanical linkages, enabling complex positioning combinations while maintaining manageable individual component complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static mechanical linkages with fixed ranges of motion to dynamic programmable actuators that can adapt their movement and positioning based on programmed sequences. This allows the chair to achieve a wider variety of positions and movements that are not possible with fixed mechanical linkages.
3Ease of operation
If the seat is lowered to entry height, then patient access is improved, but the leg rest or foot rest may contact the floor during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning actions by raising the leg rest and foot rest to elevated positions before lowering the seat to entry height. This preliminary action prevents the leg rest or foot rest from contacting the floor during the seat lowering process, eliminating contamination risks while maintaining easy patient access.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair uses dynamic synchronized movement of multiple components (seat, backrest, leg rest, foot rest) rather than simple sequential movement. The programmable actuators coordinate the motion of all parts simultaneously, allowing the seat to lower to entry height while the leg rest and foot rest remain elevated, avoiding floor contact throughout the transition.
4Productivity
If synchronized simultaneous movement of chair parts is implemented, then positioning efficiency is improved, but the control system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses a universal programmable controller that manages multiple actuators and coordination functions through a single integrated platform. This multi-functional controller handles synchronization, sequencing, and positioning tasks for all chair components, achieving complex coordinated movement without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Examination or procedure tables and chairs which can be moved into positions in more efficient and desirable ways to better meet the needs of the patient and medical service providers. In particular, a plurality of actuators which cause the seat, leg rest and foot rest of the table or chair to move and which may, if desired, be independently programmed to provide mechanically independent movement of the seat, leg rest and foot rest to desirable positions needed to provide ease of entry or transfer by the patient to the equipment including positioning the highest portion of the seat to a home or patient entry position no more than nineteen inches from the floor.